Building construction.



0 PRICE.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1904.

PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

2 BHEETSSHEBT 1.

' W/T/VESSES: c flaivmm N VE N TOR 0Z7 eg/ irice No. 788,944. PATEN'TED MAY 2, 1905.

0. PRICE.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18,1904.

2 SHEETS SHBBT 2.

1 :Illlir WITNESSES.

A TTOR/V E Y 8 Patented May 2, 1905.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,944, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed May 18, 1904. Serial No. 208,556.

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ORVEY PRICE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Building Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to an improved building-block formed of a composite of concrete or equivalent plastic material and a strengthening metallic frame and to a peculiar manner of constructing these blocks into a building to produce an "imitation-stone and other advantageous effects.

The invention resides in certain novel features of structure and arrangement, which will be fully set forth hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, showing as an example practical embodiments of my invention, in which drawings similar characters of reference indicate like parts, and in which- Figure 1 is a horizontal section on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2, showing the manner of applying the improvement to a frame building to imitate exteriorly a stone construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of one of the building-blocks. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the manner of mounting the blocksin the building. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the metallic frame employed with the block shown in Fig. 3, the outline of the concrete block being indicated by broken lines; and Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of slight modifications in the metallic frame, these views also showing by dotted lines the outline of the concrete block. 1

The improved composite blocks forming part of my invention maybe employed for various purposes, and I desire it distinctly understood that their use is not limited to the construction ofbuildings. Preferably concrete is employed for molding the blocks; but other equivalent plastic substances may be used in its stead.

As shown in Figs. 3, 3, and 4, the concrete or other plastic block a is molded around two angle-irons b, which are embedded in the concrete and have projecting ends 6 and 6 extending, respectively, above and below the blocks. Said angle-irons b are connected by rods 0, which may be of any desired number and which also are embedded in the concrete. The blocks are formed with matching ribs (Z and cavities d, causing the blocks to fit tightly together, and the blocks are also formed with undercut rabbets 0, extending around certain of their edges, so as to form pockets in which a suitable pointing material indicated at f may be placed, thus forming an absolutely hermetic connection between the blocks. (See Figs. 1 and 2.)

Figs. 1, 2, and 3 clearly illustrate the man- .ner in which these improved building-blocks are mounted on the building. Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the lowermost block a is placed against the projecting ends of the angle-iron t of the block next above, the projecting ends 7) of the angle-irons of said lowermost block having been first fastened into the sheathing or other part of the building by means of screws or equivalent devices extending through openings Z2 in said ends. (See Figs. 3 and 4.) The block a next above is then fastened in position by means of screws extended through said openings 6 of the projecting ends 6 of the angle-irons of said second block a, and so on throughout the structure of the building. The blocks of one course are arranged to break joints with the blocks of the next course, so that the projecting ends 6 of the bottom course come out of registry with the projecting ends 6 of the upper course and so also as to give the building the appearance of conventional masonry.

I desire it distinctly understood that the strengthening-bars b may be of any desired cross-sectional form. For example, Fig. 5 shows equivalent bars (designated g) of T- iron, and Fig. 6 shows equivalent bars (designated lb) of channel-iron. These bars are connected by rods and 0 respectively, the same as before described; but in the forms shown in Figs. and 6 the bars 9 and h are not projected beyond the concrete block, but are embedded therein and serve not only to strengthen and prevent cracking of the blocks,

but also serve to increase the strengthening of the blocks under pressure. These modified forms are particularly fitted for use as part of the foundations of buildings, as indicated in the lower part of Fig. 2, where a may be taken to indicate a concrete block similar to that shown by broken lines at a in Fig. 5. Said blocks a are preferably much thicker, and consequently stronger, than the blocks a and are anchored in the brickwork t' of the foundation by means of anchor-rods or other devices 70, which may be of any desired form and which are set into the brickwork and into the concrete block and engaged with one of the rods 0, thereof.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of my invention may be re,-

sorted to at will Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Hence I consider myself entitled to all such variations as may lie within the terms of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A building-block, formed of a mass of hardened plastic material and a metallic strengthening-frame embedded therein, said frame comprising bars of angular cross-sectional form, and connectingrods passed through and extending between the bars, and said bars having portions extending beyond the edges of the block to facilitate fastening the block in place.

2. A building-block, formed of a mass of hardened plastic material, and a metallic strengthening-frame embedded therein, said frame comprising bars of angular cross-sectional form, each bar having a flat portion,

the outer side face of which lies flush with one side face of the block, and connecting-rods extending through the angular bars from one to the other.

3. A building-block, formed of a mass of hardened plastic material, and a metallic strengthening-frame embedded therein, said frame comprising bars of angular cross-sectional form, each bar having a flat portion, the outer side face of which lies flush with one side face of the block, and connecting-rods extending through the angular bars from one to the other, and the said flat portion being extended at one end beyond the adjacent edge of the block to facilitate fastening the block in place.

4:. The combination with a supporting-surface of a plurality of blocks formed of a mass of plastic material, a metallic frame embedded in each block, said frames comprising bars of angular cross-sectional form, eachbar having a flat surface the outer face of which lies flush with the one side face of the block, connectingrods extending between the angular bars from one to the other, the said flat portions being extended at one end beyond the adjacent edge of the block to permit the adjacent block to overlap the extended portion, and means fastening each extended portion to the said supporting-surface.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ORVEY PRICE. Witnesses:

L. A. HUMMER, WILLIAM 'OLAASSEN. 

